Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá áthas orm go bhfuil an deis agam labhairt sa díospóireacht seo. It is always good when we are all in agreement in the Chamber on what needs to be done and in welcoming legislation that will hopefully get us there. I welcome the measure that scramblers will be dealt with. Deputies Seán Crowe and Dessie Ellis were the first to table Private Members' Bills on that issue a number of years ago.

We all agree there needs to be a modal shift and every car we can take off the road is to the benefit of everyone. We have to make it the case that no one is forced to have a car. The current situation in Ireland is that there is forced car ownership; people have no other choice, particularly households in rural areas with two-car ownership that might be able to reduce to one car. It is important that we put in place anything that helps people who want to give up their car.

Much of the focus of the Bill is on personal powered transporters, including electric scooters and bikes.I do not see electric bikes as cheating, although the Senator is the second man I have heard say that in recent weeks. I say that because I am somebody who has recently got an electric bike. I am not a cyclist or a very confident cyclist, and I live 12 km out. Cycling is not something I would normally do for exercise and I much prefer to run. However, I did try cycling on the regular bike and it is just that little bit too far as it is uphill. Having the electric bike now, I am using it far more, first, coming into work every day because even if I am late leaving, I am getting home that bit quicker but, equally, I am able to use it for doing those other trips. We are all trying to get people out of their cars to do those short trips, such as going to do the weekly shop, where they normally would have needed a car. Again, with cycling, the weight was a bit too much, but with the electric bike, it is possible to do that. Electric bikes have opened cycling to a whole range of people, and I include myself in that, because it is much more accessible. Again, they are gentler on the body and people who are older and who might not physically be able to cycle a manual bike are able to cycle electric bikes.

With regard to e-scooters and the scaremongering about people whizzing past on them, e-scooters are again very good for people who have mobility issues. We have heard concerns about the exercise benefits and that if we encourage cyclists or people who walk to shift to electric bikes or electric scooters, they are not going to be cycling or walking as much. That is a bit of a red herring. As I said, anything we can do to get people active and out of their cars is a good thing.

Under the current law, there appears to be some confusion about the classification of e-bikes and e-scooters as mechanically propelled vehicles, which would make the riders liable for insurance, tax and a licence. However, contrary to what we heard earlier from Senator Boyhan, it is a good thing that e-bikes and e-scooters will be exempt from those obligations. There are other concerns about the dockless e-scooter sharing apps. I spent a lot of time in Brussels and I can testify to the negative consequences they can have for pedestrians on footpaths. As I said, I like to go running but that city is littered with scooters from multiple companies. I know it is worse for certain people and that the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, NCBI, and the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind issued a paper outlining their concerns in that area. They identified the parking of e-scooters as an issue that will be a huge challenge. We have to get that parking methodology right. Different European countries have approached it differently and the Brussels model is definitely not the one to go for. They cannot be allowed to become trip hazards and obstacles for those with disabilities. Navigating the city is challenging enough for visually impaired people without us throwing scooters all over the city, so we must introduce them very carefully.

Local authorities will have to introduce those schemes cautiously. The issue of parking has come up. We need to be much more proactive on illegal parking on footpaths. Clampers are to the ready when people do not pay their car parking fee. I would like to see much more proactivity around people who park on footpaths or in disabled parking spaces, rather than just the ones who are not paying their fees.

Another issue that has come up in the public discourse and has been referenced here is the use of geo-fencing. It is possible with current technology to create a zone around high pedestrian areas like schools and hospitals that automatically forces e-scooters to slow down. This is a good idea but it begs the question of why we are stopping at e-scooters. Should we not be looking for geo-fencing on our roads for all road traffic? Speeding is so common that it seems natural for people to be driving at 55 km/h in a 50 km/h zone or 130 km/h in a 120 km/h zone. There are all sorts of schemes that go into controlling speed, like speed vans and average speed cameras. Why do we not put in the same limiters on cars that are used on electric scooters?

The Bill also deals with road signs. I want to speak specifically on the bilingual nature of many road signs and the prominence given to the English language. There is a spectacular opportunity if we make a tiny change in design to put the Irish and English languages on an equal platform and, by doing so, we would raise awareness of the Irish language. Sinn Féin will table an amendment on Committee Stage that will reflect this on new road signs.

Another point is one that affects people who live on boundaries or on commuter roads. Senator Horkan spoke about glass on the roads. There is also an issue around the maintenance of footpaths, as well as overgrowth and bushes hanging over footpaths. Generally, we find this is on roads that are more the responsibility of the NTA than local authorities. An example is the Long Mile Road, which is very poorly maintained. The New Nangor Road and the Fonthill Road are other examples. These are roads that cross over different constituencies, but each local authority does not want to take responsibility and the NTA is not taking responsibility for them either. They are a hazard for people who are visually impaired in terms of getting hit in the face with branches, but it is also the case that the vehicle cannot fit on cycle lanes and footpaths.

This is a wide-ranging Bill with many aspects. I look forward to digging into the detail on Committee Stage and Report Stage. I welcome the Bill. It is great that it is going to help us have that modal shift that is so essential to tackling climate change.